US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine and said it is “unrealistic” to expect Ukraine’s borders to revert to their 2014 status before the annexation of Crimea.

NATO allies are in a state of anger, denial and despair after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth effectively declared an end to America's role as the primary guarantor of European security, particularly over Ukraine.

In his first trip abroad, the new U.S. defense secretary told allies, including NATO officials, that a durable peace could only come “with a realistic assessment of the battlefield.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there’s “no betrayal” in the U.S. position on ending the war in Ukraine, as the Trump administration pushes for negotiations between Russia and the neighboring

Syria's foreign minister was attending an international conference in Paris on Thursday as regional and Western powers seek to shield the country during its fragile transition amid ongoing instability across the region.